Now Reading: February 2011

Literary Mamas share what they are reading right now, each perfect for a mid-winter escape. Enjoy!

Download the list to find it fast at your local bookstore or library.

Literary Reflections Co-Editor, Christina Marie Speed, shares, “I’m absorbed in Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. I cannot put it down. The human nature McEwan so adeptly expresses with words on a page has swept me clear into the lives of his characters living in pre-World War II England. Filled with rich sensory detail, impeccable dialogue, and the pacing McEwan is known for, Atonement is a satisfying read during these dull days of winter.”

Suzanne Kamata, Fiction Co- Editor, wries, “In Georgic, the recently published short story collection by award-winning poet Mariko Nagai, mothers are forced by war, poverty, and hunger to do unspeakable things for the sake of their children. Nagai, a Tokyo-born writer raised in Europe and the United States, writes in English, but her inspiration is drawn from Japanese history and folktales. Although harrowing at times, these stories are filled with a strange kind of beauty.”

Caroline Grant, Editor-in-Chief and Columnist says, “I just devoured Sonya Huber’s new and incredibly timely Cover Me: A Health Insurance Memoir. The book traces her experiences in and out of coverage (and in and out of network!) from childhood through college and graduate school, marriage, childbirth and single motherhood, and while you might imagine this would be as dry as reading your insurer’s Explanation of Benefits, Huber’s writing is electric; it sparkles with sharp observations, wry humor, and unsparing honesty about her ‘healthcare hookup story.’ ”